2020 NFL Draft: Miami Dolphins add Noah Igbinoghene, continue to load up secondary
Instant analysis of the Miami Dolphins selecting Noah Igbinoghene in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Miami Dolphins kicked off their 2020 NFL Draft class with the brilliant selection of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5. Later at No. 18, Miami made a questionable decision, selecting USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson. After trading down from No. 26, the Miami Dolphins made their third and final first-round selection, taking Noah Igbinoghene at No. 30.
The Dolphins began their offseason by signing star cornerback Byron Jones to a massive free-agent deal and they already had Xavien Howard on the roster. With so many other needs on the roster, taking a cornerback here is certainly questionable, but Igbinoghene is a guy who has massive upside at the next level.
Igbinoghene is a former wide receiver who has only played cornerback for two seasons. His raw athletic upside is absolutely massive, but Igbinoghene does not come into the NFL as a finished product.
He is a strong cornerback prospect who is consistently physical in coverage and shows quick feet at all times. That being said, Igbinoghene is no the most smooth defender in space and lacks the needed instincts in coverage at the moment.
His physicality at the line of scrimmage immediately stands and I like his long-term upside as a press-man cornerback. However, with Jones and Howard already on the Miami Dolphins’ roster, won’t Igbinoghene be spending most of his time defending the slot? Honestly, I wonder if this pick foreshadows a trade of Xavien Howard. Not necessarily during the 2020 NFL Draft, but perhaps next offseason.
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Obviously, the Dolphins did not care about position of need here. They fell in love with Igbinoghene and what he can become as a player at the next level. I give them credit for getting their guy and beefing up an extremely important defensive position. With the selections of Tagovailoa, Jackson and Igbinoghene in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins clearly have their eyes on the future.